How eMLS Star Mike LaBelle Prepares for an eSports Tournament
Professional FIFA player Mike LaBelle says a lot goes into preparing for an esports tournament.
“For this next month, I’ll be playing every single day, where I’m creating content on Twitch, which you can find YouTube,” he told Cheddar in an interview. “The week before, I’ll look to play a lot more offline, because it is an offline event.”
And there’s a physical aspect to his training as well.
“At least for me mentally...if I got good rest, I feel like I’m going to be on top of my game,” he said. “I try not to eat poorly before an event. I wouldn’t recommend fast food.”
LaBelle recently signed on to New York Red Bulls as its first official esports athlete and will represent the club at the EA Sports FIFA 18 gaming league, competing in April’s eMLS Cup and in FIFA tournaments around the world.
LaBelle boasts more than 285,000 followers on YouTube and over 70,000 on Twitch, where he offers FIFA tutorials.
He says there are nuances to the sport that may escape casual gamers and fans.
“I think people who aren’t necessarily involved in gaming don’t understand that there’s a big difference between playing in-person versus playing online. So it’s important to get that kind of practice and repetition and see if there’s anything different so you make good habits.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mls-kicks-it-with-esports).
Matt Barnes, who won the NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors last year, says professional athletes shouldn't be punished for using marijuana and that he actually played his best when high.
The NBA team was one of 17 teams to take part in the first-ever NBA 2K league draft earlier this month, where top video game ballers were selected to compete in an eSports championship.
James Comey's new book "A Higher Loyalty" officially hits stores on Tuesday, but juicy details are already leaking out. The former FBI Director likens President Trump to a mob boss in the book. Trump criticized Comey on Twitter on Friday, calling him an "untruthful slime ball." Comey will do an interview this Sunday ahead of the book's release.
President Trump issued an executive order late Thursday night calling for a review of the U.S. Postal Service. The president wants a task force to look into the financial troubles facing the USPS. In recent weeks, Trump has criticized Amazon for contributing to the USPS's financial downfall. Even though Trump didn't specifically mention Amazon in the executive order, it's implied that he wants the task force to look into his claims against the tech giant.
And Cheddar CEO Jon Steinberg sits down with two-time NBA all-star Baron Davis to chat about his life as a tech investor. He's the founder of Sports and Lifestyle in Culture, or SLIC, a company that features and promotes original content from athletes.
The 17-year-old Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast tells Cheddar she worries about limiting herself. The athlete is launching a new clothing line with JCPenney for tweens and teens and a children's book inspired by her Olympic journey.
Approximately 5 million people buy fake tickets every year from unofficial sources. Ticketmaster and the NFL want to combat that problem with a new digital ecosystem, says Greg Economou, Head of Sports for Ticketmaster North America.
The golfer defied all expectations to win his first major championship at the Masters in Augusta, Ga., over the weekend. "It was a dream come true," Reed told Cheddar Monday.
President Trump is stoking fears of a trade war with China yet again. On Thursday evening, Trump threatened more tariffs on China worth $100 billion dollars, on top of the tariffs Trump is already planning. China immediately fired back, saying the country will continue to meet Trump's tariff threats with counter-actions.
President Trump also made news when he finally broke his silence on the Stormy Daniels controversy. When asked by reporters if he knew about the payment by his lawyer to Daniels, Trump quickly said, "no." Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels' lawyer, said Trump denying knowledge of the payment is "a gift from the heavens."
Executives and fighters from the UFC were at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell on Friday in celebration of the organization's 25th anniversary. Amanda Nunes, a UFC fighter, and Lawrence Epstein, the COO of the UFC, join us to weigh in on the milestone and preview the UFC 223 taking place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn this weekend. Epstein also commented on the arrest of UFC star Conor McGregor, saying McGregor's actions don't represent UFC's values.
Lawrence Epstein, COO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, says McGregor's actions are "not representative of who we are" and that there's the potential he's kicked out of the organization. The UFC lightweight fighter was arrested Thursday for stirring up a brawl in New York and attacking a bus of other UFC fighters, leaving two of them injured.
After years of turmoil, Tiger Woods is teeing up as a favorite to win the golf championship this weekend. It could be one of the greatest athletic comebacks in sporting history, says Charles Curtis, Writer at For The Win.
